My dearest,— I adhere to tomorrow and the Cornwallis; there is nothing more to be said.

Good old Dobbie was very cheery with us last night: he is away today; perhaps at Birmingham by this time. The sight of him
made us wae, wae; and yet there was a kind of satisfaction in it which I wish you had partaken of. My poor little Jeannie!

John came in to join us; to take leave of me, for they go off on Saturday. A little before that, Darwin drove up! I had heard
of him at Strachey's, from John, who happened to be there; and also that perhaps he was coming down. He looks brisk & well;
altogether glad to have got back to London again. He has been sitting in his arbour at Shrewsbury all this while. Harriet
he did not think quite so well; her main occupation “writing letters.”

Mrs Balfour1 who brought that Note and a scrubby pair of thumbikins just now, did not come up stairs; will call about the end of next week, when she hopes to see you.— Today the weather is
cool enough: I have had to get poor Babbie a fire. I myself am in a dressing-gown; too long here!

Did you understand that John Donaldson is Master of Bury School?2 I would spend a few minutes seeing him if occasion served: some knowledge might lie in him about Ely &c. I should have written
to appoint 5 minutes of an interview for tomorrow: but know not how the Carriage may be bested and so forbear. If you come
with it, and have half an hour to wait at any rate—? But no: I suppose the man, with his hyaena voice, is unlovely to you!—
Adieu, my own dear; I am a man of many sins, ah me!— but ever yours,

1. Clara Lucas Balfour, who, according to the ODNB, had moved from Chelsea to Maida Hill some time in 1841. “Thumbikins” not explained.

2. John William Donaldson (1811–61; ODNB), headmaster of King Edward's School, Bury St. Edmunds, 1841–55; author of The New Cratylus (Cambridge, 1839), a treatise on Greek philology; a native of Haddington, where his grandfather had been town clerk; see JWC to TC, 26 Oct. 1835, and TC to JWD, 17 Dec. 1838.